没有手的姑娘1 文本已添加

31. The GirlWithout Hands没有手的姑娘

A certain millerhad little by little fallen into poverty, and had nothing left but his mill anda large apple-tree behind it.

从前有位磨房主,他越来越穷,除了磨房后有棵大大的苹果树外一无所有.

Once when he had gone into the forest to fetchwood, an old man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before, and said,

有一天,他到森林里去砍柴,一个他从没见过的老头走近前来对他说:"

"Why dostthou plague thyself with cutting wood, I will make thee rich, if thou wiltpromise me what is standing behind thy mill?"

你何苦这么辛苦地砍柴呀?只要你答应把你磨房后的东西给我,我就让你过富人的日子."

"What canthat be but my apple-tree?" thought the miller, and said, "Yes,"

　"磨房后面不就是那棵苹果树吗?"磨房主想."行."

and gave a written promise to the stranger.He, however, laughed mockingly and said, "When three years have passed, Iwill come and carry away what belongs to me,"

他说着就写了个承诺给陌生人.陌生人嘲笑地说:"三年之后,我会来取走属于我的东西."说完便走了.

and then he went.When the miller got home, his wife came to meet him and said, "Tell me,miller, from whence comes this sudden wealth into our house? All at once everybox and chest was filled; no one brought it in, and I know not how ithappened."

磨房主回到家中,妻子迎出来对他说:"快告诉我,咱们家这些财富突然从什么地方来的?家里所有的箱笼一下子全被装满了,又没人来过,到底是怎么回事呀?"

He answered, "It comes from a strangerwho met me in the forest, and promised me great treasure. I, in return, havepromised him what stands behind the mill; we can very well give him the bigapple-tree for it."

磨房主回答说:"是我在森林里碰到的一个陌生人给的.他只要我们磨房后的东西作为回报.我们把那棵大苹果树给他不就得了."

"Ah, husband," said the terrifiedwife, "that must have been the devil! He did not mean the apple-tree, butour daughter, who was standing behind the mill sweeping the yard."

　"唉呀,老公,"妻子吓坏了,"那准是恶魔!他不是要苹果树,他要的是我们女儿,她正在磨房后面扫院子呢."

The miller'sdaughter was a beautiful, pious girl, and lived through the three years in thefear of God and without sin.

　磨房主的女儿是个美丽.虔诚的姑娘,她敬畏上帝.没犯任何过失.

When therefore thetime was over, and the day came when the Evil-one was to fetch her, she washedherself clean, and made a circle round herself with chalk.

三年过去了,在恶魔要来带她走那天,她将自己从头到脚洗得干干净净,用粉笔绕着自己画了一个圈.

The devil appearedquite early, but he could not come near to her. Angrily, he said to the miller,

　恶魔很早就来了,可就是没法靠近姑娘.他怒气冲冲地对磨房主说:"

"Take allwater away from her, that she may no longer be able to wash herself, forotherwise I have no power over her."

把水全给我拿走!让她没法洗得那么干净.要不然我对她就没有魔法了."

The miller wasafraid, and did so. The next morning the devil came again, but she had wept onher hands, and they were quite clean.

磨房主害怕,只得照办.第二天,恶魔又来了.可姑娘的泪水把她的手冲得十分干净.

Again he could notget near her, and furiously said to the miller, "Cut her hands off, orelse I cannot get the better of her."

　恶魔还是没法靠近她,因此气势汹汹地对磨房主说:"把她的手砍掉,要不然我对她就没有魔力了!"

The miller wasshocked and answered, "How could I cut off my own child's hands?"

　磨房主吓了一跳,回答说:"我怎么能砍自己孩子的手呢!"

Then the Evil-onethreatened him and said, "If thou dost not do it thou art mine, and I willtake thee thyself."

恶魔威胁说:"如果你不这么做,你就是我的,我就要把你带走."

The father becamealarmed, and promised to obey him. So he went to the girl and said,

这位父亲吓坏了,答应照他说的去做.他走到女儿跟前,对她说:

"My child, if I do not cut off both thinehands, the devil will carry me away, and in my terror I have promised to do it.Help me in my need, and forgive me the harm I do thee."

"我的孩子,假如我不砍掉你的手,恶魔就要把我抓走,我吓坏了,就答应了他.现在请你帮帮我,饶恕我对你的伤害吧."

She replied, "Dear father, do with mewhat you will, I am your child." Thereupon she laid down both her hands,and let them be cut off.

姑娘回答说:"亲爱的父亲,尽管砍吧,我是你的孩子."说着,她伸出了双手,让父亲砍下了.

The devil came forthe third time, but she had wept so long and so much on the stumps, that afterall they were quite clean. Then he had to give in, and had lost all right overher.

恶魔第三次来到磨房.可是姑娘一直在哭泣,泪水将残肢冲洗得十分洁净.恶魔只好放弃了,而且对姑娘失去了所有权.

The miller said toher, "I have by means of thee received such great wealth that I will keepthee most delicately as long as thou livest."

磨房主对女儿说:"我以你为代价换取了这么多财富.只要你活着,我就会让你过得舒舒服服的."

But she replied,"Here I cannot stay, I will go forth, compassionate people will give me asmuch as I require."

　可是姑娘回答说:"我不能住在这里,我情愿出去,有同情心的人们会给我所需要的东西的,"